Rising Water near the Grand Canal, Venice 1980

Curator: Bruce Cratsley's photograph, "Rising Water near the Grand Canal, Venice," captures a flooded Venetian street in stark black and white. Editor: It’s immediately unsettling. The high water transforms the street into a murky river, a visible symptom of larger ecological crises. Curator: Water, of course, is central to Venice's identity, but here it feels almost menacing, invading the city's architecture. This tension between beauty and threat is palpable. Editor: Absolutely, and the lone figure in the distance becomes a symbol of human vulnerability against a backdrop of environmental change. The photograph reminds us that Venice is both a historical treasure and a place facing immense contemporary challenges. Curator: It seems to act as a mirror, reflecting not only Venice's beauty but also our own precarious relationship with nature. Editor: Exactly. Cratsley's photograph invites us to consider the narratives we weave around places and how those narratives are shifting under the pressures of our time.